Inspired by Mary Shelley's Frankenstein this series of moving image works explores the notion that we create our own monsters from fear. Through processes of improvisation and collaboration Eelyn Lee locates real and fictional characters in an unspecified time and place somewhere along the Thames Estuary to play out a response to the arrival of a stranger.
“All great literature is one of two stories; a man goes on a journey or a stranger comes to town.” - Leo Tolstoy
Taking the story premise, 'a stranger comes to town' each film reveals how a small estuarine community is thrown in to turmoil when a mysterious creature appears in the mud at low tide.
The first iteration, Monster [16mins/2015] was devised and filmed over five days in a black box theatre space at the Barbican. It was selected for the BAFTA Qualifying Aesthetica Short Film Festival and has been presented by film curator Gareth Evans [Whitechapel Gallery] at the Barbican and Close-Up Cinemas, London.
Eelyn was invited by Metal, an arts lab on the Thames Estuary, to further develop the work through a series of residencies at their base in Southend-on-Sea. From here Eelyn extended her collaboration to local residents and made the second iteration, Creature of the Estuary [22mins/2016] which was presented at Estuary 2016 at an outdoor screening at Coalhouse Fort.
In December 2016 a special screening of Monster and Creature of the Estuary at Focal Point Gallery, Southend, marked the first ever double bill screening of the first two iterations of the Trilogy.
Both films have been supported by Arts Council England and feature BAFTA-winning actress Anamaria Marinca.
To complete the trilogy Eelyn is currently developing a feature-length film for theatrical release.
Photo Credit: Film still from Creature of the Estuary by Eelyn Lee / Cinematographer: Dominik Rippl
